Railroad cattle-gate.



No. 823,881. ,PATENTED- JUNE-1,9, 1906.

- c. R..LARKIN.

RAILROAD CATTLE GATE.

APPLICATION TILED AUG. 28, 1905.

UNITED f STATES CHARLES R. LARKIN, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

RAILROAD CATTLE-GATE.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 19, 1906.

Application filed August 28, 1905., Serial No. 276,170.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES R. LARKIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at-'Nash ville, county of Davidson, State of Tennessee,' have invented a certain new and useful Improvement on Cattle-Gates, of which the following is a specification. r

This invention relates to gates for railways and its object is to provide improved means for preventing straying upon the track, particularly by cattle.

To this end the invention may be said to consist in the constructions and combinations hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a section of track provided with my improved ate and operating devices. Fig. 2 is aside e evation, and Fig. 3 is a detail of part of the operating mechanism.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings is illustrated a section of railroad-track comprising the ties hand the rail-sections b. Disposed transversely of the track and preferably journaled in the rails is a rock-shaft m, which may advantageously be constructed of a length to project some distance at either side of the track. Secured rigidly to shaft m between the rails. is a gate a, which may have supplemental sections a secured to the portions of the shaft projecting outside of the track. Shaft m has also rigidly secured to it a pinion f (there may be one at each end of the shaft adjacent the inner face of the adj a-' cent'rail) and meshing with this pinion is an upright rack e.

Extending longitudinally at either side of gate a is a tread-lever a, normally inclined with its inner end raised above the tread of the adjacent rail and its outer end flush therewith. Said levers are pivotally supported at. their outer ends, preferably to the I adjacent rail, as at 'n,, and occupy recesseso,

formed in the inner side of the tread thereof, though it will be obvious that the operating devices might Well belocated outside of the rail rather than inside. A spring g, mounted on the base of the rail, serves to maintain each tread-lever c in its normally elevated position by bearing against the under surface I of said lever.

A pair of links (1 are pivotally supported at their outer ends conveniently to the rail 1), as at r, and have slotted connection with each other at their inner ends, as at s. Tread-lever a at one side of gate a and the underlying link 1 are connected pivotally at q to rack 9, already referred' to. The tread-lever and link at the opposite side of the gate are also connected together conveniently by a second rack 6, similar to the first.

.While the device has been described more particularly torefer to the operatin devices at one side of the track only, it wil be seen by reference to the drawings that operating devices may be located at both sides, thereby securing greater uniformity and reliability of action.

It will be understood that ate a. is stationed at a point at which it is desired to prevent trespass upon the railroad-track. A common application of the invention will be at crossings, where it is advisable to have.

a gate at each side of the crossing in line with the fences bordering the road. In this event, as indicated in Fig. 2, a second shaft m with pinion f and gate a may be'located at the proper distance from the other and with its pinion meshing with the second rack e.

- Recesses 7c may be formed in the under surfaces of tread-levers. c to receive shafts we when these levers are in their lowermost positions, and similar recesses j may be formed in the upper surfaces of links (1 to receive the shafts when these parts are in their uppermost positions.

From the foregoing description the operation of my invention will be readily grasped.

A train approaching the gate or gates from either side rolls upon. one of the tread-levers and commences, preferably at a distance of about twenty-two feet, to depress the gate, such lowering of the gate being effectedby the downward movement of rack e in engagement with pinion f. Links (1, it will be apparent, constitute connection between treadlevers c to insure simultaneous actuation of both ates upon depression of either of the tread-devers by a train, or When a single gate is employed to insure actuation thereof by either tread-lever. After the passage of the train springs g operate automatically to raise the tread-levers and to .return the gate or gates to upright position.

What is claimed as new is 1.- In a railroad-gate, the combination of a transversely-dis osed rock-shaft, a pinion thereon, treadevers extending longitudinally at either side of said shaft and normally inclined with their inner ends elevated, pivotally-supported links disposed longitudinallybelow said tread-levers," and connected together at their inner ends, an upright rack connecting one of said links and its overlying tread-lever and meshing with said pinion, and a connection between the other link and its overlying tread-lever.

2. In a railroad-gate, the combination with track-rails, of a rock-shaft disposed transversely of said rails, a pinion on said shaft, a

normally upright gate carried by the shaft,

tread levers extending longitudinally at either side of the gate and normally inclined with their inner ends elevated above the railtreads and their outer ends substantially flush therewith, pivotally supported links disposed-longitudinally below said tread-levers and connected directly together for simultaneous movement, an upright rack connecting one of said links and its overlying tread-lever and meshing with said pinion, and a connection between the other link and its overlying tread-lever.

3. In a railroad-gate, the combination with track-rails, of a rock-shaft disposed transversely of said rails, a pinion on said shaft, a normally upright gate carried by the shaft, tread levers extending longitudinally at either side of the gate and normally inclined with their inner ends elevated above the railtreads and their outer ends substantially flush therewith, links disposed longitudinally below said tread-levers pivotally supported at their outer ends and connected together at their inner ends, an upright rack connecting one of said links with its overlying tread-lever and meshing With said pinion, a connection between the other link and its overlying tread-lever, and means for returning the gate to normal position after hav ing been depressed by said tread-lever.

4. In a railroad-gate, the combination with track-rails, of a rock-shaft journaled transversely in said rails, a pinion on said shaft, a normally upright gate carried by the shaft, a tread-lever disposed longitudinally at each side of the gate in a recess in the tread of one of the rails and having its outer end pivoted to the rail and substantially flush with the tread thereof, springs tending to maintain the inner ends of said levers above the railtread, links disposed longitudinally below said tread-levers pivotally connected at their outer ends to the rail and connected together at their inner ends, an upright rack connecting one of said links with its overlying treadlever, and a connection between the other link and its overlying tread-lever.

5. In a railroad-gate, the combination of a pair of transversely-disposed rock-shafts, a pinion on each shaft, a normally upright gate carried by each shaft, a tread-lever extending longitudinally outside of each. gate and normally inclined with its inner end ele vated, pivotally-supported links disposed longitudinally below said tread-levers and connected directly together for simultaneous movement, and an upright rack connecting each of said links and its overlying tread-lever and meshing with the acent pinion.

6. I11 a railroad-gate, the combination with track-rails, of a pair of rock-shafts disposed transversely of said rails, a pinion on each shaft, a normally upright gate carried by each shaft, a tread-lever extending longitudinally outside each gate and normally inclined with its inner end elevated above the treads of the rails and its outer end substantially llush therewith, longitudinal links below said tread levers pivotally supported at their outer ends and connected together at their inner ends, an upright rack connecting each of said links and its overlying tread-lever and meshing with the adjacent pinion, and means for returning the gates to normal position after having been depressed by said tread-levers.

I11 testimony whereof I have signed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

C. R. LARKIN.

Witnesses:

IIORACE G. SCALES, RICHARD H. GnIsnAM. 

